Seven teens were taken into custody in Sydney as a result of counterterrorism measures in Australia. These young people, who range in age from 15 to 17, are being investigated by law authorities for adopting radical religious beliefs, and they are thought to be plotting an assault.
This crackdown comes soon after the sad event that occurred last week, in which an Assyrian bishop was attacked live during a sermon. Four individuals in the vicinity suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the stabbing, which the authorities labeled a “terrorist act”. The 16-year-old offender, who is thought to be a member of the same group as the teenagers who were just arrested, was also hurt.
The young people had a shared goal and were all thinking along the same lines, according to NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson. They presented a risk serious enough to demand more attention and research. After the event at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church last Monday, they had been placed under the close observation of the authorities. Despite the lack of a precise plot or target, the quick police intervention was prompted by the expected probability of another attack.
The counterterrorism searches on Wednesday were a massive operation involving 400 police officers and 13 search warrants that were carried out throughout southwest Sydney. The state’s joint counterterrorism squad is currently looking into the matter.
The Christ The Good Shepherd Church, which is based in Wakeley, serves as the center of the Assyrian Christian community in Australia. Many of its parishioners have fled the impacts of war and persecution in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Australia, seeking safety there.
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Bishop Emmanuel, the martyr from last week, is well-known in the neighborhood and has a sizable online following. But he’s a contentious figure due to his ultra-conservative views, which frequently spark debate over issues like same-sex marriage, Islam, and even his resistance to pandemic-related measures like government lockdowns and vaccinations.
Although the authorities have not disclosed the adolescent attacker’s religion, the recent events have escalated tensions in Sydney’s multifaith community, with many people questioning whether it is safe to continue going to church.